Netflix and Disney have just teamed up to completely change the film distribution landscape. After signing a multi-year deal, Disney will begin releasing videos to Netflix in the first pay TV window.
Earlier we misspoke based on a Boy Genius Report that erroneously indicated that the films would be released at the same time on Netflix as they were available in theatres. Boy Genius Report seems to have massaged their original post with the updated information, but thanks to The Next Web‘s Matthew Panzarino, we were pointed in the right direction in a direct message on Twitter. The Next Web‘s post is here with clarifications.
Long story short, Disney will be bringing some films from its catalog to Netflix immediately, and staring in 2016, films will begin appearing on Netflix the moment they’re available in the first pay TV window. It’s a far cry from what we original thought was going to happen. It’s still a great move for Netflix and Disney, but it’s certainly a far cry from the revolutionary move we thought had occurred.
Below is our original, and wrong, post on the topic. Again, we misspoke. Feel free to rap our knuckles.
Original, and wrong post:
If Disney releases a major theatrical film in theaters, it’s likely that you’ll be able to watch it from the luxury of your couch before the film canisters are packed up and shipped back to Disney.
According to the press release:
“for the first time in our largest market – new Disney movies will be available when and where you want to watch them on Netflix rather than on a premium cable channel. Our popular “Just for Kids” section, which is especially programmed for children under twelve, will now have such beloved Disney theatrical classics as “Dumbo,” “The Aristocats,” and “Pocahontas” and new favorites like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and the “Air Bud/Buddies” franchise on top of the incredible range of Disney Channel, ABC Family and Disney XD shows already available to stream on Netflix.”
While the nifty new release schedule won’t start rolling out until 2016, it’s a pretty large game changer. Having a young daughter (11 months old) makes it very difficult to get to a theatre. It doesn’t mean I’m not interested in seeing the film, but it does mean that it will be increasingly difficult to make it to a theatre over the next five or six years. Increase your family size and the difficulty starts multiplying up in a hurry. This type of partnership ensures that kids can still see films, and it probably means there will be increased pressure on parents to take kids to see the film on the big screen should children actually enjoy the movie.
It’s a huge move, and if other film studios get on board, the future of film consumption is almost knocking on the living room door.
